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PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceA day in the life of apoliceprosecutorBy Deb Stringer, Communications AssistantSergeant Michael Wingfield isused to appearing in court.However, he continues to sit onthe right side of the law.In his job as a Police prosecutor in Timarufor the last three years, Mr Wingfield hasseen more than his fair share of criminalsbut refuses to see them all in a bad light.“It not about getting a guilty verdict everytime, it’s about doing what’s right for thevictims and the families and making sureoffenders get the help they need.“That being said, it feels great when you wina case where you know the offender is guiltyand the evidence proves that. This definitelygives you a good sense of satisfaction,” MrWingfield said.304“To be a successful prosecutoryou need to be prepared, aswhen you are in court on a listday the judge’s main objectiveis to get through as many filesas he or she can. If you don’thave all your files in order andcan’t pull out the one you needquickly, it really isn’t a goodlook. You really have to be ableto think on your feet.”Sergeant Michael Wingfield,Timaru-based Police prosecutorCase in pointMr Wingfield was privy to that feelingrecently after winning a defended hearing inthe Timaru District Court.“The case was particularly nasty as the36-year-old male offender had terrorizedthe victim by chasing her around the house,before grabbing her by the throat andpunching her in the face. The victim was his16-year-old half-sister.”December 2010• Mike Wingfield enjoys his job as a Police prosecutor at the Timaru District Court.Photo courtesy of Simon Schollum.The offender was eventually charged withassault with intent to injure and maleassaults female. He is now serving 10months in jail.Witness protectionMr Wingfield said one of the main reasonsfor the successful outcome of the case wasthe victim and witnesses testimony.“They all provided testimony and were allso brave. To be honest, I didn’t really knowhow it was going to go, as they were all halfsiblings between the ages of 15 to 18,” headmitted.To prepare them for the hearing, MrWingfield met with them all prior to the caseto offer reassurance.“I gave them my number one tip, which is toalways look ahead at the judge, never lookback at the offender. This rule has alwaysseemed to help my witnesses and victims inthe past,” he said.How Police prosecutors deal with witnessesand victims is often crucial to the case.“They need to feel secure and relaxed sothey can focus on relaying the facts,” MrWingfield told Police News.Being preparedWhen Mr Wingfield is not in court, his daysare spent preparing files for court.“To be a successful prosecutor you need tobe well prepared, as when you are in courton a list day, the judge’s main objective is toget through as many files as he or she can.If you don’t have all your files in order andknow them well, it really isn’t a good look.You really have to be able to think on yourfeet,” Mr Wingfield said.Doing your researchHaving files up to scratch is paramount.“Checking the files for court can be verytime consuming and quite often I have to goback to the original officers who dealt with